South Sudanese women in a refugee camp in Uganda. Credit|LWF/C. Kästner

A civil society activist has criticized President Salva Kiir’s party for yet again failing to appoint women into positions of power at the state levels.

The SPLM party now has 12 leading men in the states; 6 male governors, 3 male deputy governors and 3 male Chief Administrators.

On Wednesday, South Sudan’s President revealed 3 appointees for deputy state governors as nominated by the SPLM.

Kiir named Antipas Nyok, Kennedy Ganiko and Angelo Taban Biago as deputy governors for Jonglei, Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states -respectively.

The three add up to the list of 6 male governors, 3 Chief Administrators already appointed through the SPLM party in June.

President Kiir’s party has not appointed a single woman into top positions of governance in the country, in what observers have described as a violation of the revitalized peace deal.

Only the SPLM-IO under Dr. Riek Machar has once again appointed a woman as deputy governor for Eastern Equatoria state.

Mary Nadio Alphonse joins governor Sarah Cleto of Western Bahr El Ghazal state as the two prominent women on the SPLM-IO ticket.

Wednesday evening’s appointment has been widely challenged by activists.

This is because the revitalized peace agreement expects the parties to ensure there is a 35% women representation at all levels of government.

“Out of these three, at least one should have been a female deputy governor which did not happen,” said Rajab Muhandis, Executive Director of the Organization for Responsive Governance.

He describes as unfortunate –the move by the SPLM to sideline women in leading prominent positions at the national and state levels.

“The agreement has been very clear on issues of inclusivity and on the quota for women representation and…it is both a violation and undermining of the participation of women in the implementation of the peace process and also in political leadership,” Muhandis added.

This is not the first time for the President’s side to violate the provisions that empower women in the revitalized transitional government.

In March this year, President Kiir appointed 5 cabinet-level ministers despite the agreement stating that the SPLM shall ensure no fewer than 6 women are appointed into the Council of Ministers.

The SPLM-IO appointed 2 although the agreement expected 3 women into the cabinet.

In October, a group of activists petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the decision by the SPLM to appoint majority men into executive positions.

They described it has a violation of the constitution, affirmative action on women’s participation, and the revitalized peace deal.

It remains to be seen whether the SPLM will nominate and appoint a woman as speakers of the national parliament, Council of States and state legislatures -the only remaining senior positions in the country.

According to a peace organisation, PAX, one of South Sudan’s important challenges is to create laws and a political system in which women can participate on all levels. This, it said, can guarantee respect for the safety, rights and priorities of men and women.